Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said Tuesday he was confident that his primary battle won’t require a runoff with his six rivals, citing internal polls that put him above the 50% threshold to win the contest outright.

“We were over 50 consistently in the last two weeks,” Mr. Graham told a group of reporters, after he joined Gov. Nikki Haley and fellow Sen. Tim Scott to announce an expansion of General Electric massive electric turbine design and manufacturing center in Greenville, S.C.

“It’s all about turnout,” Mr. Graham said. “At the the end of the day, if there’s a runoff, it will end the same way.”

Mr. Graham embraced recent polling and news reports that show some of his work on issues that have inflamed the tea party insurgence against Republican incumbents — like immigration reform and the use of export-import financing to promote domestic manufacturers’ prospects overseas — hasn’t hurt him with voters at home.

“We have had a chance over the last few months to straighten out some misperceptions,” Mr. Graham said.

Onstage in the turbine factory, Mr. Graham was flanked by Ms. Haley and Mr. Scott, and used his time at the microphone to brandish his national security argument. GE’s sales of power turbines in Iraq and Algeria represented “a bad day for al Qaeda and radical Islam,” he declared.

Mr. Graham also defended the Export-Import Bank, which has been a contentious issue among House Republicans. GE officials say as much as 90% of the output of the Greenville facility is exported, helped along by U.S. government financing via the Ex-Im Bank.

“Tim and I are going to make sure that the American Ex-Im Bank stays open, and we’re not unilaterally disarmed,” Mr. Graham told reporters referring to fellow Sen. Scott. “What we do in Washington really does matter.”

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Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.